Coco Gauff, Caty McNally get US Open doubles wild card

NEW YORK (AP) — Coco Gauff and Caty McNally will get a chance to play doubles at the U.S. Open and add to their winning streak as a team. Gauff, the 15-year-old based in Florida who announced herself to the world at Wimbledon, and McNally, a 17-year-old from Ohio, were granted a doubles wild card by the U.S. Tennis Association on Saturday.

United States' Cori "Coco" Gauff reacts after winning a point against Slovenia's Polona Hercog in a Women's singles match during day five of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London. Gauff is just 15 but got into the main draw for the U.S. Open, which starts next week, thanks to a wild-card invitation after her surprising run to the fourth round at Wimbledon. She is one of a group of young Americans making strides in tennis lately.

Caty McNally returns the ball during a semifinal match against Camila Giorgi, of Italy, at the Citi Open tennis tournament in Washington. McNally, who is only 17, teamed with Coco Gauff to win the U.S. Open junior doubles title a year ago and again to win a WTA doubles title at the Citi Open this August. Like Gauff, McNally received a wild-card invitation for the main draw of the U.S. Open, which starts next week.

August 24, 2019

Each previously was given a wild card for the singles main draw, too. The tournament begins Monday. A year ago, Gauff and McNally won a U.S. Open junior title in doubles. They then picked up the first WTA trophy for each by winning the doubles title at the Citi Open in Washington this month.

McNally also reached her first tour-level semifinal in singles at that hard-court tournament. Gauff's big breakthrough in singles came at the All England Club this year. She became the youngest qualifier in Wimbledon history, then beat Venus Williams in the first round and made it to the fourth round before losing to eventual champion Simona Halep.